The Trophy
by Arabella Lee Smith
Summary: Years later, Ginny would tell her children that playing with the various Awards of Merit, Orders of Merlin, and Medals of Valor was acceptable, but that they must never, never, play with Dad’s trophy. Harry, Dudley, and Petunia in 1989 - my First Fanfic


**The Trophy**

June, 1989

"And for being at the heads of their classes, with the highest combined marks," Miss Covington said into the microphone, "the trophies go to: Billy Woods, Stephanie Bates, Harry Potter, Terry King, and Janet Demarest."

The five students wandered up from the assembled students to collect their trophies. Harry was surprised because it seemed to him that Tiffany Todd was obviously the smartest and best in class. Tiffany looked displeased, but what worried Harry more was that so did Dudley. Miss Covington gave him a big smile as she handed Harry his trophy.

"Congratulations, Harry," she said. "I'm sure your family will be pleased tonight." That was what she said to each of them, but Harry knew better, and so, he could see in her eyes, did Miss Covington, who was Harry's own teacher.

Miss Covington was the teacher who had, three years before, coined the phrase 'the Dreadful Dursleys,' by which title, (sometimes abbreviated to D.D. when others were around) the Dursleys were known to the faculty of Little Whinging school. Harry did not know that the faculty called his family the 'dreadful Dursleys,' but he was aware that many of them would frequently place themselves between Harry and Harm, (read Dudley) giving the smaller lad a chance to get a good running start on the way home while they detained Dudley with a question about his dear mother or her lovely garden. It had come as no surprise to his teachers that Harry had already won the ribbon for fastest runner in his grade.

Miss Covington had suggested making sure that Dudley won _something, _so the faculty came up with an Award for Great Potential for Dudley, which those in the know called the 'Bully Award.'

The Bully Award, (for Great Potential as observed by the Faculty) might have placated Dudley and his parents had Harry merely won the running award. After all, the fastest runners merely got a ribbon printed (very cheaply, Aunt Petunia said) with the word 'Champion' in patently false gold. Dudley's award was a certificate (suitable for framing) with a 'real' gold seal and official-looking signatures. The trophies, however were the climax of the awards presentations, after the ribbons given for jumping and running, and the certificates for the spelling bee, science fair, and story-writing contest, (and, of course, for the Bully Award.)

Harry felt as if a terrible mistake had been made. Tiffany Todd had outdone him every year before now. She sat there with her certificates for First Place in the Science Fair and Third place in the spelling bee, and fumed. Harry was as dismayed, himself, for he could see the angry, jealous glint in Dudley's eyes.

--

After school that day, Miss Covington called Dudley to her desk and dismissed the rest of the class. Harry grabbed his ribbon and his trophy and took off running, the fastest sprinter in his year.

Asking Dudley to wait for a minute, Miss Covington wrote a gushing note to the DDs, telling them their son was special, had fabulous potential, and would undoubtedly do great things in the future. Dudley was impatient to get out and chase Harry, but after seventy-eight seconds he knew (from experience) that Harry would have too great a head start on him, even if he cut _through_ the Polkisses' house, (which he could only do, anyway, when Mrs. Polkiss wasn't at home.)

Miss Covington praised Dudley and sent him on his way. She hoped the letter and the Bully Award would keep the Dursleys from punishing Harry, somehow, for excelling.

--

Harry hurried into the house on Privett Drive and hid his prizes in the closet under the stairs. He began to do some dusting, his usual Thursday chore. Several minutes later Dudley came in bragging of his own prize, and even more loudly complaining about Harry's. Petunia admired Dudley's certificate and promised they would have it professionally framed and hung over the fireplace.

"And what did you win, Harry?" she asked in rather a bored tone.

"Harry was the fastest runner in our year AND head of the class," Dudley complained. "It isn't fair that Harry got two prizes. And one of them is a trophy!"

Petunia demanded to see the prizes, dismissing the ribbon as cheap and unimportant.

'_Not to me,' _Harry thought. '_Running fast keeps me alive!' _

Her eyes narrowed when she saw the trophy with its little brass loving cup on a tiny stand of real marble. Nowhere near as stupid as her son, Petunia Dursley read the letter from Miss Covington and instantly suspected there was more afoot here than met the eye.

"Well," she said dismissively, " I suppose that's very nice, Harry, that you have the highest marks. Those that can't have potential like Dudders, here, ought to have something."

"Potential, Dudley, that means a brilliant future. Why Albert Einstien, the Great Genius, and Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, both got poor marks in school. But they had _potential." _Harry wondered whether this was true, but was quickly drawn from his reverie by Dudley 'gently' ripping the trophy out of his hands and holding it out of the smaller lad's reach.

"Oops! I dropped it," Dudley crowed as he deliberately stepped on the loving cup, snapping the metal at its smallest point and bending the cup badly. Harry was aghast; tears sprang into his eyes. Miss Covington, who was so kind to him, had given him that with her own pretty hands. Petunia turned back to the boys to see Harry sadly gathering the two pieces.

"Now Dudley, you apologize for dropping Harry's Trophy."

"It was an accident," Dudley argued.

"Yes, I know, Duddykins, but you must apologize anyway, because it is broken," Petunia insisted.

"Sorry Harry, that I dropped your trophy, _by accident," _Dudley said insincerely.

"That's my little gentleman!" Petunia enthused. "Now, Harry, you had better hoover before your Uncle gets home. We don't want any little slivers of cheap metal on the rug."

Harry sorrowfully took his mangled trophy and 'cheap' ribbon into his closet, hiding them so Dudley could not inflict further damage.

--------

The next morning Harry was shocked to see his trophy sitting, perfectly mended, on top of the small box that held his meager collection of clothing. He was amazed that one of the Dursleys had done it. After running his fingers over the trophy, marveling at its wholeness, Harry hid it under his other pair of jeans, lest Dudley look into the closet.

Aunt Petunia must have _somehow_ had it mended for him overnight, as unlikely as that was. Either Aunt Petunia or a Fairy Godmother.

Harry had a smile on his face that day. He'd won the coveted trophy for his class, and Miss Covington had told him that if he continued to study hard, a scholarship for University would be in his future.

Freedom from the Dursleys, it was a lovely dream.

--ooo---

Years later, Ginny Potter would tell her children that playing with the various Awards of Merit, Orders of Merlin, and Medals of Valor that they found tucked into drawers and wardrobes was acceptable, but that they must never, _never,_ play with Dad's trophy.


End file.
